Axle actuated generator drive



sept. 15, 1959 2,903,973

R. P. I Ewls AxLE ACTUATED GENERATOR DRIVE Filed March 51, 1955 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept 15, 1959 R. P. I Ewls 2,903-,973

AXLE ACTUATED GENERATOR DRIVE v Filed March s1, 1955 4 sheets-sheet s INV EN TOR.

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Sept. 15, 1959 R. P. Ll-:wls 2,903,973

v AxLE ACTUATEDGENERATOR DRIVE Filed March .'51, 1955 y l l y 4Sheets-Sheet 4 TV5/Jg' BY. y

` 2,903,973 y AXLETACTUATED GENERATOR'DRIVE I'Robert P: Lewis, Toledo;Ohio, assignor to Dana Corporation,` Toledo',- Ohio,'a corporation ofVirginia Application March 31, 1955, Serial No.498,356

Claims.- (Cl. '10596.1)

` `Thisinvention-relates to-railway laxle enddriven power transmission'apparatus and is particularly` directed* to Y Apositive means forltransmitting the Vdrivingpower from an axle to an associated generator.Anl object of the-invention is the provision of a simple and highlyefficient positivev generator drive of this charl acter whichvconsistsgenerally of mechanism-'associated with a railwayr car axle-journalboxincluding a gear box or casing enclosingangle drive gearing arranged tofurnish apower take-off from the end of axle'and including a llexibledriving connection between the axle'and the f gearing, the powertake-off Abeing arranged to 4drive lthe generator, through a driveshaft, irrespective ofthe posi- VtionY of the generator with respect tothe endf'of the axle.

Further objects andadvantages willbecome` apparent :from astudy ofthe'following description when lconsidered in connection with theaccompanying drawings; in which:

Figure l is sectional detail view of adrivefembodying the inventionapplied to the end of afrailwayfcar axle;

' Figure 1A is asectional detailview illustrating vanother form ofthedrive.

Figures -2 and 3 lare side andend 'elevations of Aagenerator anddriveinstallation inf-which a vertically dis- "f posed generatoris=located generally vertically above Vthe 1 v axle and;

Figures 4 and 5 are side -and'endelevations of'agenerator and driveinstallation inftwhich-fthe generator is mounted angularly adj acentoneaxleof-lrailway-car truck andthe drive is associated with: the end ofIthe other axle;

Figures 6 and 7 are side"and'endl elevations' of a gen- -erator anddriveinstallation in whichfthef'generator is hung fromtthe bottom of.the railway llcarhand the drive is associated with the end of anadjacent axle;

"Figures VSand 9 aretopi'andsideviews.of'a generator and driveinstallation in whichthe generator has an outboard mountingintermediate-the` axles of a railway car truck and the drive isassociated with theend of an-adjacent axle interconnected by anAangularly. disposed drive shaft;

Figures 10 and ll are side and end elevations of a generator and driveinstallation in which the generator is disposed horizontally abovethe'axleend, a. 'rigl'itangle` drive gear box beingarran'ged-between'the generator and aA generally vertical drive shaft"frorn'-"the"axle y"drive mechanism.

' Referring to- Figure `1 of the drawing, arailway car axle shaft 10 hasbeen illustrated as journalled in antifriction bearings. such as;roller.bearingsf'lZ in a journal box 1-4 of conventionalconstiuctionk Toaccommodate `-`the drive of the present-invention.the-end of axle'lil`is provided with an axial-bore for a purpose hereinafter appearing. Agear box adapter plate-16 replacesthe usual journal box cover.

Gear box` is located on the adapter-16 by equally spaced studs 21andsecured bynuts 22. YThe drive mechanism within casing 2 0 consistsprimarily of a generally horizontallyv disposed hollow shaft."23 axiallyaligned with the bore 15 in' axle shaft'10."" Shaft 23"suitably`Alistan-. 1 sept. 1 5., 1.959

f5 ICC journalled in bearings 25 and 26, is provided with a radial ange27l to which is secured a ring gear 29. Gear 29 \meshes with a piniongear 3l) formed on the Vend of a take-off or pinion shaft 32 journalledat right angles to shaft 23 in suitable bearings 34-and35. The outer endof `shaft 32 receives a flanged section 37 of a universal joint -towhich may be coupled a drive shaft of suitable type. Shaft 3'2 hereshown as extending vertically, may readily be disposed at various anglesbetween horizontal and vertical to suit various generator installationas later described.

To transmit rotation from the axle shaft 10 to the hollow shaft 23 andcompensate -for misaligument and endwise movement of the shaft-10 acoupling, indicated generally at 40 is used.V The coupling comprisesopposite raxially spaced'end members or stub shafts '41, 4'2 forconnection to the two rotating parts to bevcoupled together, radiallyspaced telescoping elements .43, 44 between the end members-secured attheir opposite ends only to the end membersl 41 VandV 42 respectively,and compressible resilient motion transmitting spacers 47 between theelements in binding engagement therewith.

" The end members `41 and 42 are shown as having cylindrical heads 45,46 of dilferent diameters.V The telescoping elements 43, 44 are shown assleeves attached respectively to the heads 45, 46 but Vthe sleeve `43attached to the head 445, is unattached to the head'46, and the sleeve44, attached to the head 46, is unattached to the head 45, so'that thetwo sleeves have 'a slight vibratory movement in a rotary direction. Thespacing means, compressed between the sleeves,-provides a motionltransrnitting connection between the sleeves whichl permits the tsleeves to have Va movement to compensate for misalignments, and yalsoto absorb'vibration. The spacing means vare of -a rubber or lrubber-likematerial and may beheld in binding relation to both sleeves by thecompression thereof, or may be bound to either or both o`f the sleevesby a binder. The sleeve'43 ts the head 45, andthe sleeve 44.ts theheadf46.vv The spacing "means is here shown as consisting of avplurality of rings`47 axially spaced lengthwise of theI sleeves betweenthe same.

, Each'of the' endrnember's 41 ,142 is shown as formed with4externallysplined-base portions`48,`49 respectively, for `interfittingwith splines formed in the partsv to be coupled together.` That is, inan axial bore; 15 in` the `end of' the axlelli, or in acolla'rSZ-'iitted into's'aid bore, and on splined end 537 of theshaft`2t3 mounted in the box'20 to transmit motion through gears`29and"'3) and shaft'32 to the propeller` shaft, connected to thegelectricy generator to be actuated bythe axle V10." 'Oil seals orwashers 55,- 56 of resilient-material are located between the members41, 42 and the walls of the-bores "in' which the end members 41, 42arelocated, these washers having conical faces 58 and"59 respectively forcoactfingvwith complemental faces in` the bores'in which they "arelocated. '-The coupling is'particularly -advantageous in that it` isuilexible and corrects 'misalinem'entsj absorbs -vibrations, and.isnoiseless- Further, the splinedconf nection's between the coupling"46 and axle102and hollow Jshait23, respectively, compensate`for-end-wise-rnovement of the axle 10. v

' ff Referring'nowv toA Figures 2 and 3, a railway car' truck e isdiagrammatically Vshownl atfthaving wheelsy 62Ha`ud #6'4mountedv-on-.thefusual` axles, one of which is v'shown -at 10.- Thestr-ucturegearbox 2li of Figure l has-been incorporated withtthe end ofthe-axle-'and arranged-to drive` a propeller or drive shaft 66extendingA generally vertically upward from the gear box to a verticallydisposed electric generatorGS, A clutch mechanism 70 is interposedbetween' the 'shaft 66Y andthe generator 568 which may be of anysuitableftype' capableof 'coupling "alid'uncoupling the drive to thegenerator.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cai 'truck 60 isprovided with supporting means of suitable type on which the generator68 is mounted Iadjacent the axle for wheel 62. The gear 20 -isassociated with the end of the other 'axle 1i). Beacuse of the locationof the generator 68, it 'will be noted that the propeller shaft 66extends angularly between the clutch' 7 0" and the gear box -20` To somountth'e gear box 20 itis only necessary to attachthel saine to theaxle housing with the shaft 32 extending at the desired angle. This isaccomplished by 'otating the box 20 to align the holes for studs 21'with the desired studs, and securing the box 30 to adapter 16 inV suchposition. I I v In lgures 6 and 7,'the drive shaft is also angularlydisposed, but in this arrangement the .generator 68` is mounted onsuitable brackets hung from' the car frame at .a suitable location withrespect to one end of "the 'car truck. The shaft 32 extends intheopposite direction to that shown in Figure 4, which furtherillustrates the universal mounting arrangement provided in lthe mechaofthis invention.

In the event it may not be 'desirable to mount the `generator in theabove locations, an outboard mounting i's shown in Figures 8` and 9. Inthis arrangement a bracket is provided which may be suitably attached tothe car so that the generator 68 is located outwardly thereof in whichcase the propeller shaft 66 is extended diagonally inwardly anddownwardly toward the axle from which the generator 68 is driven. Inthis arrangement, it will be noted that the shaft 3-2 is nearlyho-rizontally disposed. Thus, it will be clear that it is intended vtodrive the propeller shaft 66 from the gear box 20 at any convenientangle from horizontal to vertical in either l direction from the caraxle center line.

vWhen horizontal placement of the .generator is more convenient thanvertical as in Figures 2 and 3, the generator 68 may be driven as shownin Figures 10 'and 11.

Here it will be noted that a right angle drive gearbox 72 is arrangedbetween the propeller shaft 66 and the clutch 70.

i vertical direction to the box 72'and in a horizontal direc- Thus, thedrive from gear box is in a tion to the generator through clutch 70.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. `1A the j railway car axleshaft 110 is journalled in antifriction bearings 112 in journal box 114.A cup shaped bearing retainer 115 is normally secured to the end of`axle 110 by a plurality of bolts 117. Rotation of the axle 110 isimparted to the gearing in Fig. lA means of flanged shaft 123, theliange 124 of which is apertured to receive the Shanks of bolts 117.Bolts 117 thus serve to retain shaft 123 in axial alignment with axle110 and provide a rigid driving connection between the axle and shaft. Agear box adapter 116 replaces the usual journal box cover and serves tospace gear box 120 the desired distance from the end of the axle 110.

Gear box 120 is located on the adapter 116 by spaced bolt and nut`.assemblies 121. Within casing 120 is -a generally horizontal hollowshaft 125 internally splined at 126r and provided with a radial flange127 .to which f 139 is provided on shaft 123 and serves as an abutmentfor sound and shock absorbing Washers 140 surrounding 'lthe shaft 123and interposed between the ange 139 and a tapered neck portion 142 of anenlarged bore 143 .in the innerv end of shaft 125.

This form vof the invention is as equally well adapted for installationin the arrangements shown in Figufes 2 to 11, a's' the forni 'shown inFigure l, as gear box 120 is capable of being selectively mounted onadapter 116 in a number of different positions at the end of the axle.

What I claim is:

l. In a device of the character disclosed, a rotary axle, a casingsupported beyond the end of said axle, an internally splined shaftjournalled in said casing; gein in said Vcasing including a gear ountedon said shaft, coupling means between said axle and said shaftcomprising a driving shaft connected at one end to said axle, 'saiddriving shaft extending into the center 'of said splined shaft andhaving a splined connection therewith, and annular shock absorbing meansbetween said axle and said splined shaft.

2. In a device vfor transmitting drive from jthe eiid of an axle to agear box, tli combination with a journal boi having an axle terminatingtherein and journalled in antifriction bearings, of a tubular drivenshaft in substantial axial alignment with the axle, an adapter mountedon the journal box, a casing supported by said adapter beyond the end ofsaid axle, gearing in said casing including a gear mounted on saidshaft, flexible coupling means between said axle and said shaftcomprising a pair of axially spaced end members rotatably connected toand slideable axially of said axle and said shaft respectively, radiallyspaced concentric telescoping .elements each connected atan opposite endto one of said end members, and compressible motion transmitting spersbetween siii concentrie elements.

3. In a device for transmitting drive from the end of an axle to a gearbox, the combination with a journal box having an axle terminatingtherein and journalled in antifriction bearings, of a tubular drivenshaft in substantial axial alignment with the axle, ya power take-offshaft at right angles to said driven shaft, an adapter mounted on thejournal box, a casing supported by said adapter beyond the end of saidaxle in which said shafts are journally mounted, means to secure saidcasing to said adapter in selective relative positions lto varytheagularity of said power take-off shaft, gearing in said casing includinginterrneshing gears mounted on said shafts, llexible coupling meansbetween said axle and said tubular shaft comprising a pair of axiallyspaced end members rotatably connected to and slideable axially of saidaxle and said shaft respectively, radially spaced concentric telescopingelements each connected at an opposite end to one of said end members,and compressible motion transmitting spacers between said concentricelements.

4. In a device of the character disclosed, a rotary axle, a tubulardriven shaft in substantial axial alignment with said axle, a casingsupported beyond the end of said axle, gearing in said casing includinga gear mounted on said shaft, llexible coupling means between said axleand said shaft comprising axially spaced end members rotatably connectedto and slideable axially of said axle and said .shaft respectively,radially spaced concentric telescoping elements each connected at anopposite end to one of said end members, and compressible, resilientmotion transmitting spacers between said concentric elements in bindingengagement therewith for transmitting drive from said axle to saidgearing.

5. In a device of the character disclosed, a rotary axle, a tubulardriven shaft in substantial axial alignment with said-axle, a powertake-olf shaft at right angles to said driven shaft, a casing supportedbeyond the end of said axle for supporting said shafts, gearing in saidcasing including intermeshing gears mounted on said shafts, flexiblecoupling means between said axle and said tubular shaft comprisingaxially spaced end members rotatably connected to and slideable axially-of said axle and said shaft respectively,y radially/.spacedconcent'riotelcscoping elements each connected at an opposite end to oneof said end members, and compressible motion transmitting spacersbetween said concentric elements for transmitting drive from said axleto said power take-oft shaft.

References Cited in the le of this patent

